


these days I watch you from afar

by we_are_the_same



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, Ghost Harry Styles, Halloween, Halloween AU, Halloween Costumes, Haunting, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, Trick or Treating, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-30
Updated: 2020-10-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26813662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/we_are_the_same/pseuds/we_are_the_same
Summary: “Are you talking to me?”The boy blinks, blue eyes thoughtful as he cocks his head. “Yeah?”“You can see me?”
Relationships: Harry Styles & Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 33
Kudos: 61
Collections: 1D Trick Or Treat Fest 2020





	these days I watch you from afar

**Author's Note:**

> I am honestly so surprised that I managed to write a fic that was 666 words, because over the past few years I've written a lot of longer fics, and I figured that this would be an absolute struggle, if not outright impossible. Add to that the fact that the prompt I had in my head could've just as easily become a 10+k fic and I was absolutely expecting this to be a challenge. And it was, but a super fun challenge! I like to think that I managed to infuse a bit of backstory into this little scene, and I hope that you enjoy it! 
> 
> Happy Halloween everyone!
> 
> As always: read the tags, and if something triggers you, please let me know if I need to update my tags! Harry is a ghost in this, so there is referenced major character death, and a little bit about the cause of his death. Please stay safe, and if this fic isn't for you there are a lot of other fics in this collection that I encourage you to check out!

It’s been five years, since Harry died. Though, Harry doesn’t really feel the passage of time anymore. The only time he’s truly aware of it is on Halloween.

Because Halloween is the day of spirits, the day that he can make contact with the living.

Or, that’s what it _should_ be. That’s what he’s been taught, by Niall and Zayn, two other restless spirits who have yet to cross over. Niall stayed because he wants to keep an eye on his baby nephew, and Zayn stayed because the thought of saying goodbye to Liam was too painful, and the three of them watch over their families as much as they can.

Sometimes though, it’s painful.

Sometimes Harry watches his mum cry and he wishes more than anything that he could tell her what had happened to him.

He thinks he might be able to cross over once he’s given her some closure. Once he’s been able to say goodbye. That’s all he wants. One last chance to tell her how much he cared. 

For five years he’s tried to make contact on Halloween, admiring the many costumes, the excited children who went trick or treating. He’s followed along with them, making sure they were safe, but always hoping that once someone opened the door they’d find him there too, not just eight year olds dressed up as Dracula or witches.

But he’s remained invisible, year after year. People would pass him by on the street, would pass _through_ him, but even though someone occasionally felt a chill, no one had ever noticed him.

He’d gone everywhere. He’s sought out the most superstitious, the mediums and psychics. He’s gone to parties that college kids throw, where costumes and alcohol seem to go hand in hand. He wants to tell them to be careful, wants to yell at them when they get into their cars after drinking all night.

Sometimes, when he really focuses his energy, he’s able to keep them from leaving. He can hide their keys or make sure something in their car doesn’t work, and they curse and get irritated but sleep off their haze and they won’t ever know how much worse their night could’ve ended.

Harry was one of them, once. Not the one to drink and drive, but the one to take life for granted. He’d assumed he’d have decades left. 

But instead his body rests in a shallow grave, hidden away by a drunk driver that had ended his life.

He isn’t mad anymore, though he was, for the longest time. But these days his dreams are simpler. He just wants to be found and be properly laid to rest, give his family the chance to say goodbye to him. 

He thinks maybe if they say goodbye he’s not going to feel like he was cheated out of anything anymore.

*

“Sick costume, mate!”

Harry turns around, even as his head cautions him, tells him that whoever has just spoken up can’t possibly be talking to him, that when he’ll turn to face them they’ll be looking at someone else, complimenting their costume. Not Harry’s. Never Harry’s.

Except this time when he turns around blue eyes lock with his. Blue eyes in a friendly looking face, with crinkles around the eyes and a warm smile.

Harry feels faint. “What?”

His ears are ringing, but he hears it again, watches the boy’s mouth move as his eyes stay trained on Harry. “I said, sick costume. How’d you get the fabric to look transparent like that?”

He glances down, at where his feet don’t quite touch the ground, at where his skin is just slightly translucent. “You can see me?”

He expects the boy to laugh at him, or maybe take a step back, but although he frowns he stays put, and something about the warmth in his expression gives Harry hope for the first time in five years. 

Hope that this will be okay. That he will be okay. 

“I need your help.”

**Author's Note:**

> If you liked this fic, please leave a kudo/comment so I know that you want me to write more!  
> Feel free to come talk to me on my [Tumblr](https://so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed.tumblr.com/) anytime, and please consider reblogging the [fic post](https://so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed.tumblr.com/post/633417468082339840/these-days-i-watch-you-from-afar-louis-harry).


End file.
